Windy Moor
Saturday 17 March 2018
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| Windy Moor planking photo by Sue |
Several tasks were
planned for Windy Moor, clearing timber shavings off cushion plants, staining
steps and cut spots, stapling wire and moving timber. There was also some
pruning on leading to the moor. All went
well until the stapler refused to work not long after lunch, bringing that job
to a halt. Close to 300 metres of the
900 has had wire done.
During the day several
walkers went past, including a walking club group, and profuse appreciation for
the planking of Windy Moor was expressed by so many of these people. This has been our experience from the many of
those visiting during the time we have been there since the work began.
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| Lunch time almost over, Howard, Sue & Shirley |
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| Greg stapling wire |
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| The staple gun is causinga problem, Howard, Greg K Greg B & Peter photo by Sue |
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| Sue painting |
Cushion Plants are harder Than You Might Think
For years it has been understood in many quarters that cushion plants are
very badly effected by trampling. I have
even aware of someone asserting that a cushion plant would die if stood
on. There is no doubt that the plant
does suffer from excessive walker impact, but there is much more to this when
actual sites are examined.
On Windy Moor, at Mount Field National Park, walkers have caused
significant damage to cushion plants.
When you visit the moor these plants are noticeable along the track, but
if you stop and look about it is hard to see any cushion plants on the moor, even
quite close to edge of the track. There are many varieties of other plants visible,
but these have all gone from the path of the track due to the heavy use of
walkers. What is left is bare earth,
small herbs or grasses and lots of cushion plants. The only conclusion I can
come to is that the cushion plants are the lst of the major plant
survivors. They have outlasted all bushy
vegetation and have been subjected to thousands of boots tramping on them.
Many of these plants have been so impacted that eventually they too would give
way to bare earth and mud. The newly
installed planking will stop this deuteriation and it will provide walkers with
a good view of cushion plants that are otherwise hidden from view just a metre or two beyond the old track. The question is, will the original vegetation
gradually return and again hide them, or will the cushions take advantage of
the new conditions to maintain their dominance.
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| Cushion plants visible only on the track |
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